The Holt government announced funding to help veterans and military members find second careers.
The province will provide $275,000 to Helmets to Hardhats Canada and for its Skills Edge program.
The program helps members of New Brunswick’s military community get into the construction industry, providing employment readiness support, outreach and pathways into apprenticeship and certification.
“We are going to need thousands of new employees in the skilled trades industry in the coming years,” Post-secondary Education and Training Minister Jean-Claude D’Amours said in a statement.
“Helping former soldiers, reservists and their families launch a second career in a critical industry is an exciting opportunity.”
D’Amours said programs like Skills Edge will help drive New Brunswick’s economic development strategy.
He added a skilled and adaptable workforce is vital to the province’s growth.
Helmets to Hardhats executive director James Hogarth said the organization is proud to partner with the province.
He said the investment reflects a shared commitment to recognizing the skills and discipline members of the military community can bring to the civilian workforce.
“By supporting clear pathways into unionized construction careers, we are opening doors to meaningful, long-term employment for those who have served our country,” Hogarth said.
The chair of the Apprenticeship and Occupational Certification Board, Rick Smith, said the program is just what New Brunswick needs right now.
“We’re always looking for job-ready people,” Smith said. “Skills Edge helps deliver that.”
Smith said participants in the program understand job site expectations, take safety seriously and are committed to staying in the industry.
